Using Garden Edging in your Vegetable Garden

A garden can be both beautiful and useful. Just because you are starting vegetable gardening doesn’t mean your garden can’t be attractive to the eyes. Using garden edging is a great way to add beauty and a unique style to your vegetable garden.

Garden edging is simply working on the edge of your garden bed. Instead of leaving it as the soil meets the grass, there are a wide variety of ways you can make the transition from soil to grass smoother. A barrier that goes into the ground will help keep the weeds out of your garden and away from your vegetable plants. Plastic edging should work well for this and is a good starter for other edging as well.

Photo By: Steve Cornelius

Stones make great edging materials. You can find stones or large rocks in your yard, or you can purchase stones from your local garden store. Placing the stones side by side makes a pretty border that is also natural looking. Bricks or broken stones or concrete can be used in a similar manner. Feel free to mix and match materials as well.

Flowers or other plants can be used as edging, too. Surround your vegetable plants with short growing, dense plants or flowers. Try plants that stay put and try to create straight lines. You can be unique in how the plants grow, possibly making the boarder larger and smaller in different parts, but keep the edge clean will ensure that the edging is serving its purpose and doesn’t look disheveled.

In addition to plants and rocks, you can use recycled materials or other unique ideas you have. Mix and match as well, but try not to make the garden boarder overwhelming. Keeping it simple with plastic edging is fine too if you are worried the garden will look too busy or make it difficult to harvest or vegetables.